The present invention is directed to wrenches for fuel filter housing covers. More particularly, the present invention is directed to wrenches for fuel filter housing covers which cooperate with projecting features on the fuel filter covers to facilitate loosening and removing fuel filter covers.
A large number of vehicles manufactured from 1994 to the present utilize cartridge-style fuel filter housings having injection molded, ribbed housing covers. The fuel filter housings are positioned on engines at locations which make access to the housings and covers very difficult so that the mechanic or other person making filter changes must strain to access housing covers for removal, which is the first step in changing filter elements within the housings. The housing covers have a diameter which is too large to be grasped by hand so that screw drivers are used to force housing covers open. Utilizing a screwdriver for this task is difficult in of itself and can lead to warped housing covers which can result in fuel leaks while vehicles are in operation. Accordingly, there is a need for a tool which can conveniently grip these fuel filter housings so that mechanics need not resort to using screwdrivers which can result in hazardous fuel leaks.
In view of the aforementioned considerations, the present invention is directed to a wrench adapted to remove a cover of a fuel filter housing, wherein the cover includes a top surface with a peripheral portion and an array of radial ribs having a selected radial extent terminating at a peripheral portion to define a rib-free area of a selected width and maximum diameter. The cover also has a threaded portion thereon for threadably coupling with a threaded mouth of the housing to retain a filter element within the housing. In accordance with the invention, the wrench comprises a disk having a diameter larger than the radial extend of the ribs and includes a flange extending from the disk which encloses a space having a diameter larger than the radial extent of the ribs, but less than the maximum diameter of the peripheral portion. The flange is adapted to engage the peripheral portion of the top surface of the cover and has a plurality of lugs spaced from one another and extending inwardly from the flange. The lugs are adapted to engage the ribs in a circumferential direction to apply torque to the cover, while the flange is adapted to engage the ends of the ribs in a radial direction to keep the disk correctly positioned radially with respect to the cover. A coupling on the disk is adapted to couple with a wrench handle for applying torque to the disk.
In accordance with a more specific aspect of the invention, the coupling on the disk has a surface configuration adapted to complement a surface configuration on the handle wherein the handle is, for example, a projecting hex nut having a square aperature therethrough.
In still a further aspect of the invention, the wrench is configured for cooperation with at least two cover configurations, wherein one cover configuration has an array of straight linear ribs and another cover has T-shaped ribs with arcuate lateral portions having gaps therebetween for receiving the lugs on the wrench.
In a more specific aspect of the invention, there are six lugs on the wrench for cooperation with six ribs on the cover.